"The spirit of the
Vienna Classics and especially early Beethoven hovers over Ernst Naumann's
excellent and well-sounding trio composed in 1883. The first movement, Allegro,
is full of grace and charm and is a clear descendant of the first movement of
Beethoven’s Op.18 No.3 string quartet. The second movement, Molto vivace, with
its energetic and fine rhythms serves as a scherzo. The gentle trio section
provides fine contrast. The Lento espressivo which follows, with its warm
melody, is a song without words. The high-spirited finale, Allegro assai, full
of forward drive, holds one’s attention from start to finish.. Each instrument
receives its due and the part writing is so fine, one does not mind the fact
that there is not a fourth voice.”---Wilhelm Altmann
writing in his Handbook for Chamber Music Players.

Ernst Naumann (1832-1910) was born in the German town of Freiberg in Saxony. He
studied music at the Leipzig Conservatory with Moritz Hauptmann and Ernst
Friedrich Richter and made his name primarily as a organist, editor and
conductor. He served as Kapellmeister of Jena from 1860 until his death fifty
years later. His compositions were not numerous and a large part of them are
chamber music. Besides his string trio, he composed two viola quintets, a string
quartet, a nonet and a trio for piano, violin and viola.